This is it, the season of Endurance Racing for the V8 Supercar Championship starts next week at the Sandown International Raceway for the Wilson Security Sandown 500m which kicks off the Pirtek Enduro Cup, starting at Sandown, then Mount Panorama for the Bathurst 1000, and then Surfers Paradise for the Gold Coast 600.

Going into the 500km Race next week, defending Champion of the Race Jamie Whincup who has Paul Dumbrell partnering him again at Triple 8 Red Bull Racing, currently holds a 135 point-lead over Ford Performance Racing's Mark Winterbottom who has had a troubling run of Races since the Events at Townsville, finishing behind Whincup in the past 9 races which he cannot let happen again.

Whincup's teammate Craig Lowndes is a further 213 points back. 4th in the Championship is Tekno Autosport's Shane Van Gisbergen who is 247 points behind the 5-time V8 Supercars Champion, then Fabian Coulthard from Brad Jones Racing is 5th in the points standings 313 points back, while James Courtney from the Holden Racing Team still has a shot at the title, sitting 6th in the points running 337 points back from Whincup.

This is the time of year where all Championship contenders cannot afford a single slip-up, because if so they will suffer the consequences of dropping out of Championship contention. But the big question is, can anyone prevent Jamie Whincup and his team from winning a record-breaking 6th Championship, breaking the record 5 titles from Ian Geoghegan, Dick Johnson and Mark Skaife? Well, we shall soon see how it all plays out. Bring on the Enduros!

Nascar9fan wrote:Such a crappy race. Channel 7's constant ads didn't help either. I don't get why Sandown has the 500. I've never enjoyed an endurance race at the track

Because of the history. Although I wouldn't be opposed to a rotation 500 for each state(that isn't NSW and Queensland because they have the two others) every year. Say next year have the 500 at Symmonns Plains (Tasmania) then go to Adelaide Street Circuit, or dare I say, Mallala.